Thursday, January 10, 2013

Corned Beef Hash

So I realize that I have been posting a lot of sweet things lately, and not so many savory dishes. Well here's a savory one for you. Corned Beef Hash.
This is something that I have always loved. I like it pretty much any way I can have it (even from a can shhhh). But homemade and mostly from scratch is the only way that the hubby will have it, so this is how I make it for him. It's incredibly easy and completely satisfying. Most people have it as a breakfast dish, but I like it for dinner. :)
When the corned beef briskets go on sale around St. Patrick's Day I always stock up the freezer, so I make corned beef hash all year long.
The first thing to do it cook the corned beef brisket. I prefer to do this in the crock-pot. Just dump the meat and spices (that come with it) in the slow cooker, set it on low and let it go all day (or night if you want it for breakfast).

The next step is to tackle the other main ingredient in the hash: the potatoes.
I like the ratio of meat to potatoes to be about 50/50, but if you like more or less potatoes be my guest.my potatoes to be diced very small. (1/4 to 1/2 inch sized cubes).
This is how I go about dicing my potatoes.

Put the raw (cleaned and dried) potato on the cutting board.

Slice the potato into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.

Hold the slices together as you cut in slices 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick in the opposite direction. This will give you "matchsticks."

Then the "matchsticks" get cut down again in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices to make little cubes.

Like this: :) Aren't they cute? No, they aren't all exact, but close enough.

I put some oil and butter into a large skillet over medium high heat and add the potato dices.

Then I start on the onion. I only need 1/2 a medium onion. Any kind will do - whatever you have on hand.

Dice up the onion unto small dices, similar in size to the potatoes.

Add them to the potatoes, along with some salt and pepper. DON"T stir it up, Just let it sit, and let the potatoes form a nice crunchy brown exterior.

While the onions and potatoes cook, it's time to turn your attention to the corned beef. This is mine that I cooked overnight and then decided to serve for dinner instead of breakfast, so it was parked in the fridge for a while. This is actually a good thing, because it is MUCH easier to dice up when it's cold! (Definitely something to keep in mind!) I just pulled off some of the fat on the outside, after it was cooked. That's why it looks a little mangy. ;)

Check on the potatoes. They should be golden brown and delicious on the bottom by now. Like this. Give them a flip (try and get the brown on top and the white on the bottom, but don't go crazy over it. Just stir it up and do your best.) Now let the potatoes and onions continue to cook over medium to medium high heat until the potatoes are cooked through and browned on the second side.

Back to the corned beef. It tends to fall apart a little when it warms up, so I cut the beef into bigger chunks than the potatoes and onions. I would say that a good 1 inch dice is perfect.

When are the potatoes are fork tender . . . like this . . .

It's time to add a heaping Tbsp of dry parsley. (I suppose you could use some fresh, but I always have dry on hand and I haven't been able to grow the fresh stuff successfully yet.) Just rub it between your hands to wake up the flavor.

This is it after it has been pulverized by me hands.

Add in the corned beef chunks,

and stir it all together.

I crank the heat to high (to crisp up the edges of the meat a little) and cook for a just a couple minutes. When it's all heated through, it's ready to serve!

I suppose you could serve it plain. But doesn't it look just a little sad and lonely?

In my opinion it needs a fried egg to make it complete. (This is the hubby's plate and he prefers his eggs cook over hard. A crime, I know, but that's the way he likes it.) The hash also would be a little under-dressed without a few splashes of hot sauce.

This is the only brand I eat on my hash. (It's also amazing on Chicken Fried Steak, but "That's another show" - to quote Alton Brown.) If you've never tried it, you really should. It will change you life . . . or at least your hash. :)

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. Do not stir! Let it sit until the potatoes are browned on the bottom. When they are brown, stir and cook over medium to medium high heat until the potatoes are fork tender and browned on all sides (or most sides). Add the parsley and the cubed corned beef. Cook over high heat (adding more oil or butter if the potatoes are sticking) until the meat is heated through and slightly crisp on the edges. Serve immediately with a fried egg and hot sauce on top.

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About Me

I'm a mommy of 5 who loves to cook. My kids would often say that I should be a chef, and they would shout in unison "Chef Mommy!" - hense the name of my blog. But please do note, I am not a chef. I've never been classically trained. I learned how to cook by the apron strings of my dad and my love of food tv starting back as long as I can remember. I cook the kind of food I want to eat. Sometimes it's complex, but more often than not it is just simple and delicious. My recipes are more or less approximations because I cook by feel - not so much with measurements. As with anyone's recipes you should feel free to modify mine to suit your tastes. Don't take me too seriously, because I don't. Come along with me and I hope I can get you to love and appreciate my food as much as I do!